Provinces urged to protect river basin

Attendees at the 11th meeting of the ​Dong Nai River’s Environmental Protection Committee discuss solutions for environmental protection in the Dong Nai River basin at a meeting yesterday in HCM City (Photo: VNA)

HCM City (VNA) - The Minister
of Natural Resources and Environment has asked authorities in Ho Chi Minh City
and 10 provinces to develop a master plan on effective management of water
resources and environmental protection in the Dong Nai River basin.

Speaking at the 11th meeting of Dong Nai
River’s Environmental Protection Committee held in HCM City on November 24, the
deputy minister of Natural Resource and Environment, Vo Tuan Nhan, said the Dong
Nai River basin was one of the country’s largest basins.

“The master plan has to ensure harmonious
socio-economic development in each province and city as well as environmental
protection,” he said.

The development of hydroelectric plants, industrial
parks, urban areas, and other infrastructure should be noted to ensure that it
matches the load capacity of the river system.

“Environmental protection has to be
considered an important activity which cannot be ignored. Pollution of the Dong
Nai river can only be solved when all localities carry out their plans
well," he said.

Local authorities should allocate
significant capital to speed up the construction process of water and
solid-waste treatment systems in urban areas and industrial parks as well as
complexes, Nhan said.

Since last year, the proportion of urban
areas in HCM City with water drainage and waste water treatment works rose from
13.2 percent to 21 percent, helping to improve water quality and the
environment in the basin. The proportion in Binh Duong province increased from
20 percent to 60 percent.

More inspections of establishments should
be conducted, and those causing pollution should be fined, he said.

Dinh Quoc Thai, chairman of Dong Nai provincial
People’s Committee, said the committee would continue to look for the best
solutions for protection of water sources and problems in the management of the
basin.

The provinces and HCM City in the basin
have carried out many activities to maintain quality of the Dong Nai river
system. They have invested in a system to monitor the water environment.

Next year, they will set up centres to
receive data from automatic waste water monitoring stations.

A project on environmental protection in
the Dong Nai River basin until 2020 has been approved, Nhan said, adding that
the committee was set up to guide and co-ordinate the project.

Rapid urbanisation and economic growth in
the basin have caused water pollution, at times at alarming levels.